Plating rack



o@ 7, 1941` J. Novrf'sKY 2,258,391 l PLATING RACK F1169 Haren '7, 1939 2sheets-sneet 1 uct-7, 1941. J. NOWTSKY -225891 PLATING RACK Filed March7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wrmessas sulating material may readily beapplied therer- Patented Oct. 7, 194i emma mex Joseph Novitsky, New'inn-k,` N. Y. Application Meren' '1, vi939, sedative. 269,267 z claims;(ci. zoe-rtsi) This invention relates to improvements in plating racksor the like and more particularly to a plating rack for suspending orholding articles in an electric plating bath.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved plating rack`which may be `formed in a variety of shapes and sizes and in which'theVseveral parts maybe held together by means o! `friction alone therebyeliminating'welding.,

soldering, drilling, screws, rivets,` or `the like.` 1 10 It is afurther object to provide an improved plating rack of the abovecharacter-which may be used to hold or suspend many different types' ofarticles which it is desired to electroplate with a minimum ofinterference with the surface l be plated. t l

`Another yobject is the provision. of an `iinproved electroplating rackwhich is `free from sharp bends or angles so that a coating of into, ifdesired. Among other objects is the provision of an improved platingrack of simple, economical construction which is easy to assemble andyet` which will be able to withstand substantial usage with comparativefreedom from breakage or Wear.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a platingrack embodying Vmy invention; i, HFig. 2'is'a sectional view in thendirection of t the arrows on the line z-z of Fig. 1 indicating themanner in which theprongs on my rack "may be used to hold o r suspend'articlesf i Fig. 3 is e detailed view in perspective o: a 35 portion ofthe `rack showing the manner in which in which the racks are supported`from the frame in the form of my invention shown in Fig. 6; and Fig. 9shows a further modified form ot my invention in which the supportingcores or rods are curved. Y

My improved rack consists primarily of a plurality of supporting coresor rods having gripping 55 prongs intertwined or`inter1aced therewith`in such a' manner as to hold` the several parte 'inassembledrelationship by means; `of` friction" aloner Referring now to theflrstfour ilguresof` Y `my, drawings it will be seen thatlhaveprovidedthree parallel supporting cores or rods,` tliefcen ytial core or rodindicated by thenuineral Il Y oi" somewhat greater diameter than` thejtwo` auxiliary cores or rodsjl [which `are disposedfon opposite sides:of the central core'or rod.1 Q rods may be formed of 'any material foruse inA electroplatingracksinorefsboiflcllyal 3 metal such as copper,bronze, orjtheliketgi'fhe m central core or rod IBlpx'eferably-'extndstup-m 9 wardlyv beyondthe smallerro'dsasfindicatedffat i2 and maybe provided with/a hookedportion f 'Il at thetop thereofwhereby the. racklmaybe f suitably supported in the`electroplating bath;-

As previously stated, the prongs whichare in`- dicated generally by thenumeral i5 are `intel'-` twined or interlaced with the cores i0 and Il:in` t such a manner as to hold the cores andprongs v wardly-facinghooked portions i1 at the ends thereof. The inner ends of the prongs areprovided with the looped portions I8 for extending around the cores Iland the intermediate oppositely disposedloop .portion I9 adapted toextend in front of thev vcentral core lli. In this way, as `clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and `3, the prongs may be intertwined or interlacedwith the cores I0 and..." much in the manner of the filler threads of apiece oi textile fabric. The sets of l prongs are preferably formed inpairs extending in opposite directions and in this way the loops i8 andI8 of adjacent prongs intertwine with the cores Iii and II in oppositerelationship with the result that the cores and prongs are ilrmly heldin position. In the drawings the prongs are shown as made ofstrandswhich are round in cross section. However, it should beunderstood that they may be made of relatively ilat strips or of strandsof any desired cross sectional shape.

It will be appreciated that the length of the cores and the relativespacing, arrangement, and number of the prongs I5 may be varied, itmerely being required that some of the prongs face in one direction andother of the prongs face in the opposite direction in order to obtainthe desired intertwining relationship.

In using my improved plating rack any arti- 3 ,maybe hu cle which it isdesired' to electroplate is attached `to or supported from the prongs I5 and the rack is suspended in the electroplating bath and the processis conducted in theusual manner.A My

, prongs may be used for holding articles of many different types. Thus,as shown on the right e hand side-of Fig. 2, by compressing the two armsI 6 of a prong so that they overlap and the hooked -I portions I1 aredisposed in confronting relation- I set of prongs and inserting theminside the meml ber. Due to the inherent resiliency of the prongs thetubular member will be firmly held in position. In addition tosupporting articles in the manner illustratedvin Fig. 2 strings or thelike Vmay be vattached to the article and suspended from the prongs orin some instances the article l n or suspended from one of the :arms

tasetLOf Primes,

improvegprackmay hev made in a variety of inaiidltiop.v toproviding' thecentral core IIIand an xiliarycores Il I may also provide two additionaluxlliarycores II disposed on opposite re |01 and '.correspondingin sizeauxiliary cores II. The cores II\,are:.preferably disposed intermediatethe'twq'olfesf gl withthe result .that ran auxiliary core isjdis'posedon each of four sides of the center core It. vProngs I5' correspondingto the prongs I5 are intertwined with the cores Il' andl IIl prolectingfrom opposite sides thereof in a manner corresponding to the arrangementof the prongs l5 and their associated cores i I and I0. Alternate prongsI5' preferably project from opps'ite sides of the rack so that it willbe seen that prongs project from four sides of the rack at angles of 90degrees with respect to each other. The rack shown in Fig. 5 maybesupported in .any desired manner as, for instance, by the arrangementshown in Fig. 1. Articles to be electroplated are assembled on theprongs I 5 and l 5' in the same manner as in the iirst form of my .finvention.

Instead of supporting each rack from a. sepa- Y rate supporting hook I4I may mount a plurality 4of racks on a single frame as shown in Figs. 6

d ifil'ere #Shapes-andforms. Thus las shown in member and the ends ofthe two auxiliary cores II disposed on the opposite face so as toprovide a clamping action. To iirmly hold the racks against accidentalshifting'relative to eachother the frame member 24 may be notched atintervals as shown at 26. -When assembled the racks are arranged so thatthe central cores I0 engage the notches 26 as shown.

In an arrangement such as shown in Figs. 6 to 8 the frame may besupported by the hooked portions so vthat the racks are disposed in theelectroplating bath. The articles to be electroplated are supported onthe prongs I5 inthe manner previously described.

. The modification of my invention shown in Fig.

A9 illustrates that the cores may be curved or formed to any desiredshape. Thus, as shown, the central core- I Il and auxiliary cores II arecurved in an arcuate shape, the prongs I5 being secured thereto in thesame manner as previous- 1y described. 1f desired, in the modificationshown in Fig. 9 the cores may be curved so as to form a continuous loopor circle.

Each of the modiiied forms of my invention are used in the mannerpreviously described with the prongs engaging the articles to beelectroplated and the entire rack suspended in the electroplating bath.Where it is desiredto usethe rack as an anode rack suitable insulationmay be interposed between the cores or rods I0, II and I I' and theprongs I5 and I5'. It will be appreciated that an insulating coatingmaterial such as Korol'ac may also be Vreadily applied to the racks inthe usual manner when desired.

From the foregoing description of the several forms of my invention itwill be appreciated that I have provided an improved rack of simplifiedeconomical construction which may be formed to 8. Thusit will be seenthat I provide a plu- .rality 'of racks arranged in parallelrelationship and supported in a unitary U-shaped frame 24 the two endskof which may be hooked and shaped as shown at 25 so as to provideconvenient means V`for suspending the framev in an electroplating bath.:The frame 24 maybe made of similar materialfto the cores III and II. Therack .shown in Figs. 6 and 8 are similar in construction to the in avariety of shapes and sizes which eliminates drilling and the use ofwelding, soldering, screws, rivets, and the like and which is easy tomanufacture and assemble.A It will also be appreciated that the articlesto be plated are supported by the rack in sucha manner so as to providea minimum of interference or obstruction to the surface to be plated.

It should be understood-of course, thatv modifications may be made inthe illustrated and described embodiments of my invention withoutdeparting from the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.Thus the cores or rods I0, vII and II Aand the prongs 4I5 need not becylindrical in shape but mighty be .made from stock which is polygonalor of any desired cross section shape. Where the cores or rods are madeof stock which is polygonal in cross section or of irregular shape theprongs are preferably bent so as to conform to this shape so as tomake atighter contact between the members.

Y 1. A plating rack comprising three elongated cores arranged insubstantially parallel relationship, and a plurality of prongs forsupporting articles to be plated, each of said prongs comprising astrand of resilient wire interlaced with said cores by extending thewire substantially half way around each of the outer lcores onone sidethereof and substantially half way around the #intermediate core on the`opposite side thereof, one of said prongs being interlaced with saidcores in oppositely extending relationship to another of said prongs soas to retain the cores and prongs in assembled relationship without theaid of additional connecting. means.

lel relationship and a plurality ot prongs for supporting articles to beplated, each of said prongs T comprising a strandof resilient wireinterlaced with said cores by extending the wire substantially hai! wayaround each core. the wire being asta-391 4 3 extended around the sidesof adjacent cores and one of said prongs being interlaced with saidcores in oppositely extending relatiom.

ship to another oi said prongs so as to retain the cores and prongs inassembled relationship without the a'id of additional connecting means.

` JOSEH NOVITSKY.

